'The Muppets' review

Jason Segel brings the Muppets back down to earth more than a decade after their last big screen outing in Muppets from Space. Those fearing a crude Apatowian-style makeover with the Forgetting Sarah Marshall star at the helm need not worry - this is an affectionate and poignant revival of Jim Henson's cloth characters that'll satisfy fans and win over newcomers.

The story focuses on residents of Smalltown, Gary (played by Segel himself) and his muppet brother Walter, as they set off on a trip to Los Angeles with Gary's girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams). Obsessive muppet fans, Gary and Walter gets pangs of nostalgia visiting the old abandoned theatre. When they discover that tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) is planning to buy the property and knock it down to drill for oil, they track down Kermit the Frog in a bid to save the venue.

Having seen the Muppets disband years ago, Kermit and the gang set about reuniting the group. Fozzie Bear is still dispensing bad gags in tribute act the Moopets, Gonzo is a plumbing magnate, Animal is in anger management with Jack Black and Miss Piggy is working for Vogue Paris. Launching a telethon to raise $10 million (£6.4 million) to buy the theatre, they refurbish the building (in a rousing montage backed by Starship's 'We Built This City') and recruit Black (against his will, it should be noted!) to host the event.

Toe-tapping musical numbers are interweaved into the story by director James Bobin, whose Flight of the Conchords pal Bret McKenzie penned the two best tracks 'Life's a Happy Song' and 'Man or Muppet' - the latter makes good use of Jim Parsons, one of the many stars on cameo duty.

The 'human' story is where the film occasionally stumbles. Save for her 'Party of One' song, Adams lacks time to shine and is present only to drive a wedge between Gary and Walter. Chris Cooper also struggles to make the most of his one-dimensional villain... even with a rap solo to underline his ruthlessness.

However, playing second fiddle to the puppets hasn't stopped stars like Alan Arkin, Zach Galifianakis, Emily Blunt, Selena Gomez, Sarah Silverman and Mickey Rooney popping up to carry on the muppet tradition of celebs generating laughs at their own expense.

The Muppets is also keenly aware of its lead characters' prolonged big screen absence, acknowledging it with nudge-wink humor and harnessing the collective nostalgia surrounding them to create a warmth on screen.

Cinema is now in the 3D digital age, with Pixar telling great stories using cutting-edge technology, but there's still an abundance of old school charm in these beloved puppets. By the time the film moves into its uplifting finale, you'll be grinning from ear to ear.